Well, you have tailor your personal statement towards that. Show your interests and achievements in that subject, talk about your academic successes, any extra-curricular stuff that is relevant to the course. Make sure to put your interests outside of the subject as well, to show that you're a rounded human being, but don't spend too much time on this.

Also, for Oxford, they have a seperate application process, don't they? So for there you'll need your personal statement to be good to get an interview, but the real test is the interview itself, unlike many other universities that just go off your personal statement and grades.

Try to make it sound confident, but not like you are a twat. Although Oxford may like it if you come across as a little bit of a twat. We were told when applying it was a good idea to try and open with why you wanted to do the subject, or with a quote or something. And that it is OK to be a bit fast and loose with the truth.

Try to make it sound confident, but not like you are a twat. Although Oxford may like it if you come across as a little bit of a twat. We were told when applying it was a good idea to try and open with why you wanted to do the subject, or with a quote or something. And that it is OK to be a bit fast and loose with the truth.

The first bold bit is pretty much right, considering how many brilliant applicants Oxford get every year you don't wanna sell yourself short

Be careful with the second part, it's alright if you're talking about why you wanna do the subject (make yourself sound more noble, or whatever) but make sure you're 100% honest about anything they can actually check

Quote by SlackerBabbath

This from a country who're trying to make up for being late for the last two world wars by being really early for the next one?

Maybe Warwick? It's a lovely place, great faculty. But it really depends on what kind of situation you'd like to be in. Like, would you prefer a small one-on-one class or do you prefer to sit in a lecture hall of 500+ students? It all comes down to the kind of experience you're looking for in higher education.

Maybe Warwick? It's a lovely place, great faculty. But it really depends on what kind of situation you'd like to be in. Like, would you prefer a small one-on-one class or do you prefer to sit in a lecture hall of 500+ students? It all comes down to the kind of experience you're looking for in higher education.

Don't worry about not having yet studied the subject. It's not a problem. As long as you can put across your passion and enthusiasm for the subject (possibly through reference to books you may have read outside of the regular school curriculum), it's all good. Wider reading is a basic but effective thing to put in your statement.

Just make sure you explain WHY it is you want to study the subject. With the universities you're applying to, don't fanny on about extra-cirricular activities and sports clubs/hobbies etc. A few lines at the end is good, but try and keep the focus throughout mainly academic. Relate wider reading and outside experience (e.g. work experience, courses, awards, taster sessions at universities, talks .etc) to the subject and explain how they have furthered you desire to study it.

Don't use lots of anecdotal or personal stories if they have little relevance or point, don't start with "I have always wanted to study blah blah" or anything similar and be very, very wary of using quotes. The universities want to know why YOU want to study PPE, not anybody else. 99% of the time, people who use quotes come across as pretentious and unimaginative.

Oh, apply to Cambridge instead of Oxford! It's where all the cool people go! :PWhich college are you thinking of at the minute?